One step into Sage Cakery, and you can feel the love. Yes—it’s the friendly faces and genuine hospitality, the bright, sunlit space, the ample greenery and cheerful decorations. But the love runs deeper than that.
It all started for Nikkie while working at a local family-owned bakery in Urbana at age 14, but it wasn’t the baking itself that set her on the path to Sage Cakery. “It was just the entrepreneurialism of this old couple who wanted their whole lives to do something for themselves…and opened a really successful and community-oriented bakery–and I just loved it.” Nikkie recalled.
After taking cake decorating classes at Michaels with her mother and sister, she fell in love with it as a new creative outlet. Before she knew it, her newfound love had blossomed into a side hustle—but she wasn’t prepared for its success. In fact, her cakes grew to be in such high demand that she became overloaded with orders. Feeling the burnout, she took a hiatus from cake decorating altogether.
With a growing interest in herbalism, she changed directions and went to Green Comfort School of Herbal Medicine. Despite discovering a new passion in herbalism, her fondness for baking cakes was overpowering, and it was time to make a choice. She would either have to leave baking and decorating cakes behind, or make it the main thing.
A piece of wisdom she’d carried along the way guided her decision. “I really decided that the thing that I was looking for was not a ‘thing’. It’s not what you're doing, but how you’re doing it,” she shared.
With love, an emboldened entrepreneurial spirit, and incredible—even sacrificial—support from her partner, Kurtis, she took the leap and followed her heart. And so, Sage Cakery was born.
Love is in the bones of this place, and it shines through in every detail, from behind the scenes to the display. With every treat baked entirely from scratch, Nikkie draws on her herbalism knowledge to choose organic ingredients that best benefit your health while keeping things affordable. Her love for her team drives her to prioritize a work culture that instills joy, support and growth. Nikkie’s passion for innovation shines through delectably unique flavor combinations—think Cardamom Pear cupcake and Blackberry Sage cake.
While decorators' love for their trade typically flaunt in extravagantly-dressed cakes, the heart of this bakery isn’t limited to its physical space. This year, Sage Cakery is baking birthday cakes for every child in the Urbana Food Bank who has given their name, birthday and favorite color.
As if the heart of this place wasn’t enough, the quality of Sage Cakery’s cakes and other treats rise to the highest standard of excellence in every way. From mouthwatering flavors, to perfect textures and immaculate designs, every baked good is made with mastery; and with the wide range of cake decorators, there’s almost nothing they can’t do.
So, next time you need a sugar fix, pop into Sage Cakery and you will both feel and taste the love. SageCakery.com
